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Radio 3,23 Feb 2011,15 mins

SeriesThe Life Cycle of a Fictional Character - An Alternative History of the Novel

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The Essay

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Critic James Wood explores aspects of novelistic technique through a fictional character. Our fictional character is not alone - few novels can be made out of absolute solitude. At some point, he or she will interact with someone else: a stranger, a spouse, a parent. What do writers do with dialogue?

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